Heartland tours drawing tourists - and locals

What do the Merlion, Marina Bay Sands and Jie Bakery
and Confectionery, which makes and supplies local breads, have in
common?

They all pull in tourists.

The local mom-and-pop shop in the industrial estate of
Tai Seng draws tourists from China, America, Australia and Europe,
giving them a slice of local life. The tourists are there to learn
how local favourites, such as traditional soft, fluffy white bread,
are made each morning before being distributed to different parts
of the island.

It follows a growing trend in which tour operators are
offering trips to local neighbourhoods and the heartland.

The Singapore
Tourism Board told The Straits Times that tours in Singapore have
"gradually shifted from broad-based and attractions- focused ones
to more immersive and interest-based tours with stronger
storytelling" to cater to the evolving needs of travellers.

Its spokesman
said that while tourists may once have been satisfied with "touch
and go" commentary, visitors today seek hands-on experiences and
in-depth information, such as the locals' way of life, and are
willing to spend time going deep into specific interest areas like
food or nature.

It mirrors a
global trend. According to the 2015 Global Travel Intentions Study,
16 per cent or one in six travellers opted for personal guided
tours and a customised itinerary, up from 10 per cent in 2013.

VISITORS SEEKING MORE IN-DEPTH EXPERIENCES

SHARING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

I get the chance
to tell foreigners about our traditional breakfast style. We make
soft bread, unlike the harder breads in Europe, for
instance.

MR JIMMY MAH, the owner of Jie
Bakery and Confectionery.

Visitors are
increasingly seeking more in-depth experiences that allow them to
better understand and appreciate a destination.

Tour operator
Tribe, a two-year- old company, organises trips to the 28-year-old
Jie Bakery and Confectionery as part of its Disappearing Trades
tour. The tour, which runs for four hours, takes people to three
stops for about $75 a person. The other two stops are a
coffee-roasting factory and a paper-house maker catering to Chinese
prayer rituals.

Tribe, this
year's Singapore Tourism Awards recipient for best tour experience,
started out with just two tours but now offers about a dozen.
Co-founder Jason Loe said such tours fill a gap.

Frequent
travellers to Singapore might have already experienced places such
as Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands, and are now on the hunt for a
deeper and more authentic look at the heartland to uncover the
stories and places that make Singapore tick.

"They are
eager to experience what is quintessentially Singaporean," said Mr
Loe, adding that it comes at a time when Singaporeans themselves
have been showing greater interest in the country's heritage, over
the past four years or so.

He said: "At
the heart of it, people are fascinated by a good story. It is about
having the confidence to show foreign guests what Singapore is
really about - deep stories with a lot of soul."

A+B Edu Tours
and Travel runs a Unity In Diversity tour that takes participants
along Waterloo Street to the varied religious institutions located
next to each other.

There is also
Tour East, which runs a fengshui tour, called A Walk With Our
Ancestors, in which visitors learn how geomancy and innovation come
together in the design and construction of Singapore's
landmarks.

Mr Jimmy Mah,
the owner of Jie Bakery and Confectionery, said he enjoys opening
up his bakery to visitors as he has many stories to tell. These
include his backstory of how he got into the trade.

Locals also
join these tours.

Mr Mah, 54,
picked up baking skills by observing the Hainanese bakers he
supervised at a now defunct bakery in Tai Seng while in his 20s. He
said: "They never taught me and instead chased me away. They sent
me out to buy coffee, laksa and wonton mee during the baking
process. But over time, they shared with me some basics and I
observed the process from the side."

But tourism is
not how he makes his bread. Today, he makes additive-free
confectionery, including traditional white bread, sweet buns, milk
bread, french loaves and buns with fillings.

He said there
are about three bakeries comparable in size to his operation. Mr
Mah bakes about 1,000 loaves each day, employs eight workers and
supplies about 35 companies.

On what he
enjoys about the tours to his bakery, he said: "I get the chance to
tell foreigners about our traditional breakfast style. We make soft
bread, unlike the harder breads in Europe, for instance.

"It is a joy
to share my craft and what Singaporeans are also passionate about
with our foreign visitors."

Tourists
usually walk away smiling, with a bag or two of his popular milk
bread and other assorted buns.

A version of this article appeared in the
print edition of The Straits Times on August 14, 2017, with the
headline 'Heartland tours drawing tourists - and
locals'.